Call-to-call provider selection in international calls from mobile telephones, will be available as from the 31st March 2000. This type of indirect access is similar to the function introduced in the fixed telephone service in Portugal on the 1st January this year. This new tool will therefore expand the range of available consumer choice.
Any customer of a mobile operator will, as from the said date, be able to make international calls via another service provider of his choice, as is now the case with users of the fixed network. International calls routed via the use of a correctly dialled selection code, according to the formula 10xy00 [international number] are considered to be eligible. The selection code must identify a provider, which is duly licensed for that purpose and whose network is directly interconnected with the access mobile operator's network.
Unless there is an express agreement to the contrary, traffic originated using the 10xy code belongs to the operator selected. The owner of the traffic has two essential rights: the right to establish the price and the right to bill it to the customer directly, if it wishes.
This new mobile network function does not extends its scope to fixed-to-mobile calls by indirect access (using 10xy access codes). This option depends on the alteration of the rules affecting the ownership of traffic, originated in fixed networks, to mobile networks, which will occur, as announced, on the 1st October this year.
Indirect access means that the user has the option to select a provider to route calls, other than the provider, which provides him with access to the telephone service. In the case of the Fixed Telephone Service, both interurban and international calls can benefit from this function. In the case of land Mobile Calls, only international calls are eligible.
